Dusty
by CallMeEm
Summary: Dusty McKay is a Ravenclaw. Her brother, Jamie, is best friends with Dusty's best friend's cousin's enemy, Scorpius Malfoy. Dusty starts to spend more time with Scorpius, and feelings blossom, fights happen, and what of the guy who's in love with her? Rated T to be safe, my first fanfic! R&R! :)
1. In which James Potter sprouts tentacles

**A/N: This is my first fanfic, so I'm really nervous. Please, review, even if you didn't like it! I appreciate all kinds of reviews, just tell me what you did and didn't like. Favorite or follow if you like it! :) ~Em**

* * *

Dusty sat on a sofa in the Ravenclaw common room, flicking through her book, looking for any information on the effects of raw Fibber root. She sighed contentedly and read the passage thoroughly. Dusty already knew most of the facts stated in the book, but she wanted to make her essay better than usual so she decided to look through the book for anything she didn't already know. Long story short, she didn't find anything.

Dusty looked out the window. There was a slight breeze blowing through the trees and sparse clouds dotted the sky, which was just beginning to turn purple and had streaks of orange lining the western horizon. It was beautiful.

Dusty decided to take a walk outside, because if she did it any later it would be dark. She didn't like the dark. She walked out of the the common room and found her way down to the Black Lake. She saw some people flying on brooms at the Quidditch pitch and thought she'd drop in. She didn't play Quidditch (she didn't like heights, either) but she knew all about it and even had her favorite team and everything (the Appleby Arrows).

"Oi, McKay, only Slytherins on the pitch during practice!" Dusty looked up to see a blonde boy in green robes looking at her.

"I came to watch my brother," she lied, and felt terrible about it. But she really didn't want a fight.

"That's what you say," the boy scoffed. "You could easily be passing information to the Ravenclaw team. And I'm not going to take any chances."

"Malfoy, the fact that you think I would do something so low makes me want to hex you into oblivion," Dusty said angrily. "But I won't, not because I like you but because you're my brother's best mate."

"Come on, Scorpius, just let her watch," a raven-haired boy whined from across the pitch. "She won't do anything, she knows better."

"All right, but only because I trust you, Jamie." The boy named Scorpius turned around and continued his Quidditch practice. Dusty watched her twin brother, Jamie, maneuver his way around the goalposts, kicking away the quaffle when one of his teammates threw it in his direction. Scorpius scouted around for the snitch; he was the Slytherin seeker. The other team members were Kathryn Zabini, Harper Kirkpatrick, Marty Benson-Parkinson, Lindsay Parker, and Daphne McKinnon, beaters and chasers respectively.

"Jamie, your left is a bit shaky," the Ravenclaw shouted, and her brother nodded at her gratefully. Malfoy glared at her but continued to search for the snitch. Dusty settled herself into her seat and conjured her guitar. She fiddled around with some picking patterns and then played some songs without singing, just to get the notes right. Then she decided to play a muggle song she heard a while back. She started singing, and soon heard a voice chime in with hers. It was a man's voice, and sang sweet and clear. Dusty had never heard anything like it. At the end of the song she turned to see Scorpius, his blonde hair in his eyes, staring off into space. When he was like this, he was innocent. He wasn't arrogant, he wasn't competitive. Dusty rather liked him that way.

"That's amazing," she finally remarked, and Scorpius turned as if he had just realised she was there.

"What was?" he asked blankly, looking at her strangely.

"Your voice! The way you sing, so clearly and confidently. I could never be that good." The brunette frowned.

"You're lying, I'm rubbish at singing," Scorpius replied as Dusty scoffed.

"Yes, and I don't know how to read," she said sarcastically. "Trust me, your voice is absolutely magnificent and the fact that you deny that makes me think you're dumber than I thought." With that she got up and prepared to go to the Great Hall.

"Wait, McKay!" Scorpius called, running to catch up with her. "Walk you to dinner?" Dusty smiled slightly and nodded and Scorpius grinned back.

"You know, we don't really hang out much," Dusty mused.

"What do you mean?" Scorpius responded. "We hang out all the time."

"Yes, but it's always with Jamie, never just me and you."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. I have it!" Scorpius exclaimed after a long pause. "Dusty McKay, would you grant me the honor of going on a get to know you date?" Dusty looked at him strangely.

"A get to know you date?" she repeated.

"Yeah, I figure since we don't hang out ever as friends, we could go get a butterbeer and get to know each other. A get to know you date!" he explained, and she nodded.

"Hogsmeade weekend starts tomorrow, we can go then. But I can't eat with you and Jamie because I promised Rose that I'd sit with her and Albus, but I'll meet you at noon." Scorpius nodded and they parted ways, him to the Slytherin table and her to the Gryffindor one.

"Dusty, what were you doing with Malfoy?" James Potter spat, forcing extra venom into the last word.

"We were talking, not that it's your business anyway," Dusty snapped. "He's actually really nice, once you get to know him."

"I refuse to believe that he could ever be nice. What if he hurt you?"

"He wouldn't," Dusty answered simply, and loaded her plate with roast beef and mashed potatoes. Soon Rose Weasley came and sat down beside her.

"How'd you upset James?" she asked, loading her plate with food as well. Dusty looked up to see that James' face was red and he was angrily stabbing at his lamb chops with fork.

"Called Malfoy nice," Dusty replied, shoving another forkful of potatoes into her mouth. Rose bobbed her head understandingly.

"James, Malfoy is her brother's best mate, he couldn't hurt her without risking Jamie's friendship," Rose sighed as James fumed.

"Malfoy doesn't care about that! He just wants to get in your pants!" James shouted, causing every head in the Great Hall to turn and stare at him. Before James could process what was happening he suddenly had little tentacles sprouting from his face as well as large black bats flying out of his nose. Dusty turned to see Scorpius and Jamie standing up with their wands raised. Dusty grinned gratefully at them before pivoting again and approached James menacingly.

"James, we all know you don't like Malfoy; you've made that fairly clear. And you can do that, I don't care, as long as you keep that to yourself. I won't have you insulting _my_ friends because of_ your _problem. And I _really_ don't know why you think it's your job to protect me, seeing as I can do that perfectly well by myself. You stay out of my business, as I've stayed out of yours." Dusty spins to go to leave the Great Hall, feeling quite pleased with herself. "Oh, and Rose, be a dear and help Potter to the hospital wing, will you?" Dusty adds as an afterthought, strolling out of the large doors into the castle halls.

"Merlin's beard, Dusty, you were great!" Jamie exclaimed, running up to hug his sister. Dusty grinned as a redness crept up her cheeks.

"Thanks," she mumbled as Scorpius approached them.

"So now I'm your friend? Oh, I'm touched," he said mockingly, placing a hand to his heart dramatically. Dusty rolled her eyes but went to give him a hug as well. He hesitated at first but then eased into the embrace, patting her gently on the back.

"Sorry, I was just expecting a hand shake or something like that," Scorpius explained, and Dusty looked up into his grey eyes, smiling softly.

"I hug my friends."


	2. In which Dusty gets kissed

**A/N: I thank you for making it this far without dropping it completely! I know it's only the second chapter, but I'm surprised that _I_ made it this far. I forgot to say it in the last chapter but I don't own Harry Potter, J. K. Rowling does. I only own Dusty and Jamie! ****As I said before, read and review! Love ya! :) ~Em**

* * *

Dusty sat up in her bed and looked at the clock on the wall. Six'o'clock. She had six hours before she had to meet Scorpius at the Three Broomsticks. After she showered and got ready she would have about five-and-a-half hours.

All of Dusty's dorm mates were still asleep, and probably would be until about nine. Dusty knew she was an early bird, and loved it. She especially loved to watch the sun rise in the morning, see the way the different shades contrasted and coexisted perfectly. It was nature at its best.

Dusty stripped, stepped into the shower, and turned the water on as cold as she could get it. She liked short, cold showers best. Claimed it woke her up better than anything else. Everyone else thought she was bonkers.

She washed her hair and body quickly and got back out. As she summoned her clothes she ran a brush through her hair. Her hair was long - it reached down to her waist - and very thick. She pulled her sleek, black locks into a braid that fell down the front side of her shoulder and slipped into some jeans and a sapphire-colored v-neck tank top.

Dusty quietly snuck out of the dormitory and ran all the way up to the astronomy tower just in time to see the first rays of sun pierce the dark sky. Then the entire horizon was painted yellow and orange, and pretty soon the sky was all blue except for the straggling indigo patch in the western skyline. For a long time after the sun rose Dusty just laid there, thinking about everything. She decided she wasn't going to talk to James until he apologized for what he said. She'd talk to Rose, definitely, and Albus, sure. Probably even Hugo and Lily! But James, no.

Dusty got up and made her way to the Great Hall for breakfast. She knew the first match of the season was later that day, Slytherin against Ravenclaw. Dusty knew she should go for Ravenclaw, have some house pride and all, but everyone knew Ravenclaw didn't stand a chance against Slytherin, not in the slightest. And she had an excuse to boo when Ravenclaw made a goal; her brother was in Slytherin. People wouldn't argue with that.

Dusty decided to sit at the Gryffindor table again. She didn't see anyone she knew at the Slytherin table, so Jamie and Scorpius must still be asleep. She looked at the Gryffindor table and saw James, Rose, and Al, and waved to the latter two, not sparing a glance at the oldest boy. Dusty sat in between Rose and Albus.

"Hey, Dusty, is Jamie seeing anyone?" Rose asks nonchalantly, dipping her bacon in mustard as Albus made a gagging noise.

"First of all, ew," said Dusty, wrinkling her nose. "Second of all, not that I know of. Why?"

"No reason," Rose replied, turning her attention back to her bacon and mustard. Dusty could have sworn she winked at Albus, but it was probably her imagination. Dusty shivered and piled her plate full of eggs and bacon. She was just about to take a bite of her food when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned and saw her brother standing above her.

"Jamie!" she exclaimed, standing up and wrapping her arms around him. Over Jamie's shoulder she saw Scorpius standing back a little ways away from her and beckoned for him to come over.

"Are we still on for today?" he wonders as Dusty runs up and hugs him. She heard James and Rose audibly gasp from behind her and grinned slightly.

"You're dating him?" Rose shrieked.

"Bloody hell, you traitor!" James shouted, and Dusty turned around, fire in her eyes.

"James Sirius Potter, don't you ever speak to me again," she growled, her face red with anger. "And for your information, we are not dating, only hanging out as friends. And so what if we're together, anyway? I bet he'd be a better boyfriend than you could ever be, even if you tried!" With every word she said Dusty took a step forward towards James, until her face was just inches away from his. Within moments Dusty felt James' lips crash down on hers furiously. Dusty immediately pulled back and slapped James so hard her hand hurt.

"What the hell was that for?" said Dusty, glowering. James murmured something but Dusty didn't hear it. "What?"

"I'm in bloody love with you!" James yelled, and the room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. And so Dusty said the worst possible thing she could imagine.

"Well, I'm not, and I never will." Dusty stomped out of the Great Hall, shaking uncontrollably, with Scorpius at her heels. She ran all the way to the astronomy tower, where she had been not half an hour before, and burst into tears.

"Shh, shh..." Dusty felt a pair of arms engulf her from behind, and she turned so she was leaning into Scorpius' chest. He stroked her hair gently and rubbed her back, not saying a word the entire time.

"I-I'm a t-t-terrible person!" she sobbed, sniffling every now and then. "I just b-broke his h-heart, and he's nev-"

"Don't you remember all the terrible things he said to you, too?" he interrupted, looking into her bright blue eyes. "He called you a traitor when he was only under the impression that we were dating. He had his chance, and he wasted it. This is his fault." Dusty didn't reply, only continued to cry into his shirt. And Scorpius really wanted to punch James Potter in the face.

* * *

**_(This part takes place the moment Dusty and Scorpius leave the Great Hall)_**

Jamie pulled his arm back and swung it as hard as he could at James' face. James collapsed in pain, cupping his face in his hands.

"Do you realize what you did to her? She's probably off crying somewhere, all because of you!" Jamie shouted, resisting the urge to hit him again. "Don't you dare think for a moment that this has nothing to do with me. You decided to mess with my family, my sister, so this has everything to do with me! I want you to stay away from her. Don't talk to her, don't touch her, don't come within ten feet of her, or I'll give you much more than a broken jaw."

Jamie didn't resist when some of his Quidditch teammates came to drag him away from the Great Hall. He only wished that he could be with Dusty, comforting her, telling her how he punched that bastard in the face.

* * *

**A/N: :O He kissed her! What do you think? Is it too fast? Any grammar mistakes? What would you like to see in the future? I'm open to ideas! Also, just to warn you, there will be slash in the future. I don't know when, but there will be, just to warn those who aren't comfortable with that. :) ~Em**


	3. In which Slytherin is against Ravenclaw

**A/N: Here's chapter three! I hope you enjoy! Please review, it would make my day/week/month/year so much better! :) Love ya! ~Em**

* * *

Dusty stepped into the Three Broomsticks again, searching for the familiar mop of blonde hair. She craned her neck this way and that, trying to find him, but not seeing anything.

"Dusty!" She heard someone call her name and turned around, but didn't see anyone.

"Dusty!" She heard it again. Maybe she should yell back.

"What?" she snapped frustratedly, getting tired of this whole getting-yelled-at-by-an-invisible-person bit. She looked around again and suddenly saw Scorpius standing right next to her. "Oh. Sorry."

"For what?" he asked, panting. "I'm the one who should be sorry. I'm late, and I /am/ sorry, Quidditch practice took longer than usual."

"Oh, it's fine. Fancy a butterbeer?" said Dusty, leading Scorpius into the oh-so-popular pub.

"Sure." He shrugged and walked over to the bar. Dusty followed.

"Two butterbeers, please," Dusty said to Ross, the retired Rosmerta's son. Dusty and Scorpius both took out their coin pouches at the same time.

"I'll pay," they said in unison, and soon started arguing.

"I should pay, I'm the man!"

"Okay, so if two girls went on a date, who would pay? The man? I'm paying."

"That's not what I meant-"

"So what did you mean?"

"This isn't a real date, remember?"

"Yes, I remember we agreed we would get a butterbeer as friends. And the man pays on a date. This isn't a date. I'm going to pay."

"Bloody hell, will someone just give me the damn money?" said Ross impatiently. The bickering stopped and Dusty and Scorpius turned, blushing profusely. They muttered their apologies and Dusty allowed Scorpius to pay, planning to slip a galleon into his coin pouch when she got the chance. They each took a large mug of butterbeer to a booth and sat down.

"You look great," Scorpius said awkwardly after a few minutes of uncomfortable silence. Dusty blushed.

"Thanks, I don't try," she replied, rolling her eyes. "You do too, or as good as it gets with you."

"Hey! I resent that comment," said Scorpius, trying to withhold a grin. "I actually took time to shower after practice because I figured you wouldn't want to be sitting across from a smelly mess all afternoon."

"Sweat is hot," Dusty remarked, smirking. "It can make hot people hotter and ugly people hot enough to be shaggable."

"I am done talking about this. Would you like to go to Zonko's*?" he asked, and started to leave a tip on the table.

"No, you paid, I tip," she said, placing a very generous amount of money on the table. Dusty stood up and left the inn, Scorpius close behind her. Once outside, they slowed down and began taking a leisurely stroll through Hogsmeade.

"Big game tonight, who do you think is going to win?" Scorpius asked, debating which team she'd go for. It was Slytherin against Ravenclaw.

"Ravenclaw doesn't stand a chance," she said, not a hint of remorse in her voice. "Ever since I was little I rooted for the best. Not who I liked, but who I thought would win. You know I'm a muggleborn, so I watched football** all the time on the television. Of course, I've been obsessed with Quidditch since I found that I was a witch, but I still love to play football."

"If you know so much about Quidditch why don't you play?" Scorpius wondered as they entered the Hogsmeade branch of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. Dusty reddened instantly.

"Well, see, uhh, I'm terrified of heights," Dusty said, looking at her feet.

"I don't know why Jamie didn't tell me that," said Scorpius.

"It wasn't his right to say so."

"Ooh, lovers' spat," a voice taunted from behind them. They turned to see a redhead leaning on a rack of Ton-tongue toffees.

"Oh, shut it," Dusty sighed, but soon smiled. "And we aren't together."

"Who's this?" Scorpius whispered into Dusty's ear. The man heard and laughed.

"George Weasley, owner and co-founder of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes," said Mr. Weasley, extending his hand. Scorpius took it, his mouth open.

"George, this is Scorpius Malfoy, Jamie's best mate and one of my friends," said Dusty, biting her lip to keep from laughing at Scorpius' reaction.

"Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Malfoy." George nodded politely.

"Pleasure's all mine, really," said Scorpius, running a hand through his hair. "I never would have thought I'd meet you, Mr. Weasley, you are one of my heroes."

"Thank you, Mr. Malfoy, I can't say I'm many people's heroes. I do recall one person, his name was Jamie..." George pretended to trail off, knowing very well that Scorpius and Jamie were best mates.

"Well, it was nice to see you, George, but I have to make sure he gets ready, big game tonight! But I'll probably be coming over for Christmas again this year!" Dusty called, ushering Scorpius out the door.

"Jamie's met him?" Scorpius exclaimed as soon as he was out of the building. Dusty rolled her eyes.

"Yes, we've had Christmas dinner with his family ever year since second year. Now come on, your game's in an hour." Dusty grabbed his hand and pulled him up to the castle, only stopping when she tripped and got a face full of leaves. Half an hour later Dusty was shoving Scorpius onto the pitch while she went to find Rose. She spotted the familiar red locks in the Gryffindor stands and decided to sneak in there, even though it's only supposed to be Gryffindors.

"Hey Rose!" said Dusty, sliding into a free space next to her. Rose grinned at her and turned to the pitch. Soon Meghan Wood started some pre-match commentary.

"Alright, folks, today marks the start of the Quidditch season. It's Slytherin versus Ravenclaw and I have a feeling this is going to be a rough game for both sides, seeing as both captains have claimed that the team this year is easily better than last year's tenfold. Speaking of teams, on the Slytherin side we have Scorpius Malfoy, seeker, Jamie McKay, keeper, Kathryn Zabini and Harper Kirkpatrick, beaters, and Marty Benson-Parkinson, Lindsay Parker, and Daphne McKinnon, chasers. On the Ravenclaw team..." Meghan droned on, and soon Dusty started to block her out of her head.

"So how was your date?" Rose asked, smirking. Dusty playfully smacked her arm.

"I thought I made it perfectly clear that it was not a date," said Dusty, and Rose snorted.

"Keep telling yourself that. A blind person could tell he fancies you to the moon and back." Dusty scoffed and pretended to be interested in Meghan's statistics and facts, letting Rose's statement mull over in her head. Sure, Scorpius could be considered attractive. He could probably get any single girl in the school to go out with him. It seemed odd to Dusty that the school's "most eligible bachelor" was single. Dusty's thoughts drifted until the sudden sound of a whistle brought her back down to earth.

"Parker gets the quaffle and passes it to McKinnon, ooh, intercepted by Chang who passes it to Belby, who shoots and ooh! Blocked by McKay! Slytherin in possession of the quaffle again, Benson dodges a bludger that Patil hit, passes the quaffle to Parker, Parker passes it to McKinnon who shoots and scores! Score is ten-zip to Slytherin…" Dusty blocked out the commentary and brought her attention to the movement of the players, Scorpius specifically. The way he zigged and zagged across the pitch, sometimes pausing to hover and look for the snitch. His strategy wasn't different from that of many professional players. Dusty just found it...boring. His tactics were effective, that's for sure, just a little too predictable for her taste. Then Dusty saw the snitch. About half way between Scorpius and the Ravenclaw seeker, but if Scorpius got to it first his team would win. Dusty decided she was going to use a spell of her own invention. Dusty waved her end and muttered the incantation. She was pleased when she saw Scorpius expression. She waved her wand again and he suddenly saw the snitch. He raced toward it, and the Ravenclaw seeker caught on, but it was too late.

"Malfoy has seen the snitch, Davies now sees it, but it's too late! Malfoy has caught the snitch! Slytherin wins two-ten to fifty!" The stands around Dusty bursted into either cheers or tears. Dusty didn't care which; she was just happy for her brother. She ran into the pitch where Jamie engulfed her in a hug.

"We did it!" he exclaimed, jumping up and down. "We won!" Dusty grinned with him and looked for Scorpius to congratulate him. She saw him surrounded by his team and many of his housemates.

"Oi! Scorp!" Dusty called, waving her hand like a mad person. Suddenly noticing her, Scorpius ran over and hugged her as well. "Congratulations."

"Couldn't have done it without you," he said, "or your voice. I heard you speaking inside my head, telling me where the snitch was. I think I've finally lost my mind."

Dusty laughed, "That was me, using my very own spell."

"That's brilliant!" said Scorpius, chuckling along with her. They hugged again before Scorpius was caught in the current of the crowd and carted off to the Great Hall for a dinner fit for a king.

* * *

*I know Zonko's was bought by WWW, but I believe the official name is "Zonko's: The Hogsmeade branch of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes".

**International football, not American football.

* * *

**What do you think? Please tell me! There's a little box down there that's feeling a little lonely. :(**


	4. In which Dusty wants to kiss someone

**A/N: Alright, fine, here's the real chapter. ;P I decided to write this in Dusty's point of view, just to get a little insight into how Dusty was feeling during the cable scene. I hope you like it! :) ~Em**

* * *

Dusty POV:

It was the Monday after Slytherin won and I had Defense Against the Dark Arts with Slytherin. I was looking forward to it, because Defense is my second favorite subject, beaten only by potions.

"Students, students, quiet down, please!" Professor Smith said it quietly, but everyone shut up immediately. Professor Smith may seem gentle and reserved on the outside, but she had a fierce temper when she was ignored. Many people have been on the receiving end of her anger, and it wasn't pretty.

"Thank you. Now today," she said, pacing across the front of the room, "we will be focusing on trust." A chorus of shouts followed, but Professor Smith hushed them with a glare. She pointed to a random student who happened to be a Slytherin. "You! What do you want to work as when you leave school?"

"An- an auror, ma'am," she stuttered, picking at her fingernails. The professor nodded approvingly.

"Yes, trust is essential for those who wish to become aurors. And you, Mr. Malfoy?" Professor Smith pointed to Scorpius, who puffed out his chest proudly.

"A Quidditch player," he stated.

"Yes, so I assume you like to win?" Scorpius stared at her blankly.

"Of course I like to win," he said.

"And what does it take to win?"

"I have to catch the snitch."

"But what if the other team has too many points? What if you catch the snitch but you still lose?"

"That won't happen. My teammates won't let it," said Scorpius confidently.

"So, basically, you have to trust your teammates to not let the other team score?" responded Professor Smith, smiling slightly.

"Well, yeah, I never thought of it that way."

"You see, every job you may hold needs some basis of trust in order to do it properly. Aurors have to trust their partner, Quidditch players have to trust their teammates, healers have to trust their co-workers. That is why this week we start a unit on trust. We will be using a muggle contraption for this first week, with some magic used to make it safer. However, should one of you interfere, the magic could be disrupted and it could be extremely dangerous. The student in question will be given a punishment worthy of their crime. Am I clear?" We nod our heads silently. Professor Smith waves her wand and what looks like a "Y" made of thin cable appears in the middle of the room, and at each end a large wooden pole about eight inches in diameter. The cables themselves seem to be 15 meters in the air and about half an inch thick.

"This will be your challenge," said Professor Smith, motioning to the muggle contraption. "You will have a partner which you will be working with for the remainder of this course. I have chosen partners for you already, and you might not be with your best friend. I will name the groups now." The professor pulls a sheet if parchment out of her pocket and begins listing pairs of names.

"Jonathan Chang and Daphne McKinnon; Jamie McKay and Robert Belby..." She continued to name groups monotonously so I drifted into lala-land. I was brought back to it by my name being called.

"...and Dusty McKay..." I turned where Scorpius was standing beside me, grinning broadly down at me.

"I take it your my partner," I sighed. At least I hadn't been paired with that Patil dude. He'd been crushing on me since first year. I, however, found him utterly revolting. Just thinking of what he imagined me doing made me want to vomit.

"Yup," he replied, popping his "p". I shook my head and waited until Professor Smith finished calling out the groups.

"This is your partner, you cannot change it, you will not whine about it. Now, first of all, this is a competition. For every obstacle you complete, your team will get one hundred points. Individual obstacles will have separate ways to win or lose team with the most points at the end of the unit will win one hundred and fifty galleons to split evenly." The classroom erupted into cheers, fists punching the air. Then Professor Smith cleared her throat and everything was so quiet you could hear pin drop.

"Thank you," she said. "As I was saying, this obstacle we have here gives you the chance to win at least one hundred points, but points may be taken away under circumstances that I will explain." Smith paused, taking a deep breath. "The team members start at one of the poles with a ladder. They will have to cross about three meters of cable by themselves and then work to cross five working together. They will have a harness for stability, but the harness does nothing if you fall. Instead, you will have to rely on your partner to cast a cushioning charm or similar spell to protect you. If your partner fails, well, you die." Gasps echo around the room, and even some sobs are heard. Professor Smith immediately started laughing.

"Oh, gosh, you really think I'd let you guys die? No, the harness is going to have a spell that slows you down when you get within three feet of the ground. However, if your partner fails to cast a cushioning charm, your team will have twenty-five points taken from them. You will gain points for teamwork, communication, the time it took. I will not take away points if you fall, because this exercise is about trust, not balance. Am I clear?"

"Yes, Professor Smith," we said duly.

* * *

I climbed the ladder up the pole, wondering why the hell we volunteered to go first. I mean, Professor Smith was all like, "Who wants to go first?" so I said Scorpius and I would. I'm really regretting my decision at the moment.

I could feel my heart in my throat as I took my first step. The cable was shaking, most likely because my legs were as well. I know it wasn't the wind, because we were inside, in the Defense classroom. I glanced over at Scorpius. He seemed right at home up there, easing across his individual part as I took little baby steps. Eventually, though, I made it to the middle where he was waiting for me, looking extremely bored.

"You want to go first or do you want me to?" he asked me softly, probably remembering that I had an extreme fear of heights. So I guess he wasn't a completely insensitive prat.

We were gathered around a rope in the middle, loosely suspended between the cable we were standing on and another cable above us. I looked into his eyes, and suddenly knew he'd never let me go, not until I told him to. We were face to face, so close I could have kissed him if I wanted and passed it of for a stumble- wait, why was I thinking about that? Oh, no, no no no no no! I can't possibly...

"Ahem." I looked back at him, blushing.

"Sorry, I'll go first," I said, with a newfound realization that I could do this. I could do this and the only thing stopping me was fear. Fear that I could ignore.

I started to make my way across, grasping Scorp's hand for balance. I peered over my shoulder where Scorpius was smiling encouragingly at me. I attempted to grin back, but it seemed more like a grimace, so I gave up. I turned back around and continued with the task at hand, catching glimpses of the ground, which was a long way below me.

Sure, it took a minute, but I made it to the end pole. Shrieking excitedly, I spun and saw Scorpius inching his way across the cable, subconsciously sticking his tongue out in concentration. Oh, he looked so adorable like that... Wake up call, Dusty, he was just a friend. I shook my head and held my hand out for him to grab. He did, and I quickly pulled him closer to me. He touched the pole. The pole that ended the chaos. The pole that allowed me to get down from there. I was so relieved, but I was also going to miss it. Having someone else to depend on really felt nice, actually. I was so used to doing everything myself, having someone else to do something, to lighten the load a bit; it was relieving. Also, I would miss being in close contact with Scorpius... Oh, damn me and my wandering mind.

"Alright, you can jump down!" the professor called from below. I grinned at Scorpius.

"On three! One..." I guessed I couldn't hide from the truth anymore...

"Two..." There's no point in denying it, what good would it have done me? Here goes, admitting it to myself is step one...

"Three!" I fancied Scorpius. A zero-gravity feeling overtook my entire body, my stomach, my chest, my head. I was falling. Really, truly falling. And then I suddenly felt terrified. I was falling! I was really, truly falling! Down! Towards the ground! I did the only thing I felt was sane to do: I started laughing. Not a short, terrified giggle, but guffaws, loud and long, until tears began to squeeze out of my eyes. They must've thought that I was crazy. That I was insane, and this just proved it. I suddenly felt myself slow down exponentially, and only then did I realize that the ground was only a few feet from my face. But before I could scream I was face-down on the floor.

I shouted out unintelligible syllables then wrapped my arms as hard as I could around Scorp's neck. I heard applause and I figured the class was cheering for us. I could hardly hear them, only the sound of mine and Scorpius' breathing. The way he stroked my back, and breathed softly on my neck, and how soft his skin felt on mine.

And then someone wolf-whistled.

"Oi, shut up!" I shouted, irritated. I turned to see the culprit was none other than my brother, Jamie. I stuck my tongue out, making the face that would make him cry when he was little. But he grew up, so the face made him laugh. I started giggling, too, and pretty soon the entire class was cracking up, doubling over, laughing for no reason whatsoever.

I guess it just felt good to let it out.

* * *

**So, what do you think? She fancies Scorpius! Gasp! Please review! :) And I have something special planned for the next chapter... *wink wink* ;)**


	5. In which Al attempts to kill Scorp

**A/N: So, I know this chapter is short, but it is meaningful. I might expand on it later if I have time. :) Be sure to read the Author's Note at the end! :D ~Em**

* * *

"Morning," said Dusty tiredly, sitting down next to Rose at the Gryffindor table.

"Morning," Rose and Albus replied in unison. Dusty noticed James sitting of to the side, picking at his food. Dusty couldn't help but feel sorry for him. He couldn't help it that he fell in love with her; and then thinking he was hated by the woman he loved. Dusty didn't hate him, though. She was still a little angry, sure, but hate, no. James looked up and caught her eye, and Dusty smiled softly at him before returning to her eggs.

"So, Dusty, anything new between you and Malfoy?" Rose said suggestively. Dusty withheld a snort and bit her lip, looking nervous.

"Yeah, well, um, I don't know how to tell you this," Dusty started, "but, uhh-"

"You two are together?" Rose guessed excitedly.

"Not exactly. I'm, well, pregnant," she whispered the last word, just loud enough that Rose and Albus could hear. Rose spit out her pumpkin juice and Al choked on his bacon.

"What the hell?" Al asked, once he had recovered.

"Language, Al, it's not good for the baby," Dusty chided, waving a finger. Rose just stared at her dumbfoundedly, and Scorp, the poor dear, chose at that moment to come up to the Gryffindor table.

"So what's all the ruckus over here?" he asked, clearly having no idea what Dusty just told them. When Al stood up and wrapped his hands around Scorp's neck viciously, Dusty decided that it had gone too far.

"She's like my sister! And then you went and- and-" Al paused, just long enough for Dusty to intervene.

"Al, chill, I was joking, I'm not pregnant," she said, trying to hold in her laughter. At that James' head did a full one-eighty degree turn and Al released his hold on Scorpius' neck.

"So you told them you were knocked up, just to see how they'd react?" said Jamie, who had come when Albus attacked Scorp. Dusty nodded, giggling a little bit.

"That's brilliant!" Scorpius exclaimed, touching his throat gingerly. Dusty grinned, and suddenly saw what time it was.

"Merlin's beard, we're going to be late for defense!" Dusty yelled, running towards the door. "Come on, Jamie, Scorp!" They ran after her, cursing under their breaths.

* * *

Dusty decided to skip lunch and study in the library. She did grab an apple from the kitchens, though, so she wouldn't be too hungry when she got to potions. She was pleasantly surprised when Jamie came up to her on that November day.

"Hey, Nemo, what's up?" she asked, using her pet name for him that she only used when nobody else was around. He got it when they watched an old movie and Dusty started calling him (and everyone else she knew) Nemo. Except for Jamie, the name stuck.

"Well, um, I wanted to tell you something," he replied, flicking at his ear. It was a habit of his that he did when he was nervous, which Dusty noticed and became worried.

"Is something wrong? Do you need help with something?" she said, going into mother-mode. Jamie shook her off him and sighed, looking around.

"Is there somewhere more private?" he wondered aloud. Dusty nodded and grabbed Jamie's wrist, leading him out of the library and through the corridors of the castle, until they reached a deserted classroom.

"This will work," she said, quickly locking the door. "What is it you wanted to tell me?"

"Um, well, to start with, I'm going to say that I've known for a while, but I'm finally accepting it and so I wanted to tell you. Skipping to the point - I had this whole speech prepared, but whatever - I'm, uh, gay," he finished, looking at Dusty expectantly.

"Oh my goodness! Do you have a boyfriend? Or are you on the market? How long have you known?"

"You aren't going to, like, disown me as your brother - or worse, your twin - or anything?" he asked nervously.

"Well, sure, I was surprised at first," said Dusty, shrugging, "but you're my brother, and I love you and want you to be happy." She smiled and hugged her twin, ruffling his hair a little.

"I know I don't say it enough, but I love you, too," he said, hugging Dusty back. "And yes, I do have a boyfriend. I'll ask him if I can tell you who he is."

* * *

"Scorp, I came up with the greatest idea of all time," Dusty said to her blonde friend, the day after she had the conversation with her brother. Scorpius raised his eyebrows at her, a little bit worried about what her "greatest idea of all time" was.

"We should start a band and perform at the Potter-slash-Weasley Christmas party!" Dusty exclaimed, as if it had already been decided.

"I don't know," said Scorpius, running the idea through his head. "I have a feeling they wouldn't be too excited to have me there. You know, me being a Malfoy and all."

"Harry wouldn't care, I've heard him say loads about how great your father is as a healer. Hermione and Ginny aren't ones to hold grudges, Nana Molly doesn't care who you are, as long as you don't try to hurt her family, so it's really mostly Ron you should worry about, and he won't say anything about it in front of you in front of Hermione. They already love Jamie, and you'd get to meet George again!" Dusty knew that last little bit would to him over the edge.

"All right, fine. But what would we play?" he asked her, running through potential songs in his head.

"I really only know muggle songs, setting as my parents are muggles, but muggles have some amazing songs. I especially love the Beatles."

"Okay, then," he said, and they began planning for their first (unpaid and unconfirmed) gig.

* * *

**A/N: Had ya going for a second, there, didn't I? What do you think of their little band? What do think of Jamie's coming out? Who do you think his boyfriend is? I tried a little foreshadowing in the first or second chapter. I think I'll tell you who Jamie's guy is if I get one reviewer other than the amazing BladeChaser. :) So fill up that box down there! And, because I'd like to know, what would you like to see in the future? I'm sure I can accommodate suggestions within reason! :) ~Em**


	6. In which Dusty misses three classes

**A/N: Oh my gosh! I hadn't realized that I last updated a week ago! Well, here it is! I realized I told some of you that something sad would happen soon, but this isn't it. I didn't plan for this to happen! But the aforementioned sad thing happen! I swear! Also, one more announcement, I will not be updating for the majority of July! I'm going off to a summer camp for three weeks with no access to internet. However, I will try to write a few chapters of this, if I'm still working on it! This author's note is getting long, so I'll sign off here! Love ya! ~Em :)**

* * *

"Here comes the sun!"

"Highway to hell!"

"Here comes the sun!"

"Highway to hell!"

"So what are you guys arguing about?" Rose said, falling into step with Dusty and Scorpius as they walked down the bank of the Black Lake.

"Which song we'll play to start our awesome concert at your family's Christmas party," Dusty replied matter-of-factly.

"I didn't know know you guys were performing!" Rose exclaimed happy, bouncing on her toes.

"Yeah, we don't know either," Scorp said, and Dusty giggled.

"We haven't asked yet," she chuckled, laughing at the irony.

"So you're already planning it but you haven't asked yet?" Rose repeated, shaking her head. "I can ask for you, if you'd like."

"No, I think we should write a letter ourselves," Scorp said, smiling softly at Rose.

And they did.

* * *

_Dear Weasleys and Potters,_

_It's me, Dusty McKay, and my friend Scorpius Malfoy. I know I don't write often, and Scorpius not at all, but we have a proposal for you. We know you host a Christmas party every year, and we also know that you have a band every year. That is where we come in. We are writing to ask you if we can be the music at your gathering. We know you haven't heard us sing, but we assure you we aren't terrible. If you want we can do a mini performance for the Weasleys and Potters at Hogwarts, who can owl you their thoughts. You don't have to worry about instruments or microphones or anything like that (if you know what a microphone is). We are wizards, aren't we?_

_Please confer with the others in your family and reply as soon as possible!_

_Thank you for your consideration,_

_Dusty and Scorpiu_s

"There! All done!" Dusty said enthusiastically as she sent Scorpius' owl off into the sky and watched its red and brown figure retreat into the distance. "Now all we have to do is wait for them to reply and maybe sing for a few people!" Scorpius nodded, looking a bit out of it.

"Are you alright?" Dusty asked worriedly.

"I guess I'm a bit nervous. I've never performed in front of other people before, and I also don't want to get murdered. I have a feeling that might happen."

"Well, neither have I," Dusty whispered in his ear, making Scorpius shudder, and Dusty grin.

"Walk you to dinner?" he asked, changing the subject. Dusty laughed at Scorp's awkwardness and nodded.

"Love to." Dusty grabbed Scorpius' hand and they walked to the Great Hall.

* * *

"So, are you dating yet?" Rose asked, eating her pork chops.

"Yep, and I also got a troll on my potions exam," replied Dusty sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

"So what did my family say?" Rose said to change the topic.

Dusty shrugged. "Haven't replied yet. We offered to perform a mini concert for your Hogwarts family and let you guys write your parents about what you thought. I think that'd be ideal."

"That would be amazing! Al, James, Hugo, Lily, Dusty and Scorpius are performing a concert just for us! Consider yourself special!" And with that she returned to her food, not noticing that both James and Lily weren't in the Great Hall. Dusty, however, noticed, and also noticed when Lily burst through the doors, crying. Dusty immediately went over to the poor girl and asked her what happened.

"J-James is in th-the Hospital W-Wing!" Lily cried, capturing the attention of Rose, Al, and Hugo.

"Wha- is he alright?" Rose asked hurriedly, but Dusty shushed her.

"Let's go for ourselves," she suggested, worrying. What had James done? She hoped it was something like he fell off a broom or got in a fight with some Slytherins. Nothing too bad. But it takes a lot to make Lily Potter cry. Dusty was so engaged in her thoughts she didn't realize where they were until they were there. Madam Patil was leaned over a cot, tipping a potion of sorts into a boy with messy black hair.

James' messy black hair.

Dusty, Rose, Lily, Albus, and Hugo ran over to James' bed, exclaiming in worry before bombarding Madam Patil with questions.

"Children, children, please, one at a time," she said chidingly. "I'm sure the first of your questions is 'What happened?'-"

"I'm terribly sorry to interrupt, Madam Patil, but I'm rather more worried about whether he's going to be okay or not," Dusty said politely, brows furrowed in anxiety as the others nodded their agreement.

"Ah, yes, Miss McKay," the healer said understandingly, "he lost a lot of blood, but he'll be fine thanks to Professor Watson and her magnificent potion skills. He'll just have to stay here for a week, on bedrest."

"Alright, now I'm wondering what happened," Rose said impatiently, but obviously relieved.

"It seems to be excessive blood loss through assumed self-inflicted lacerations on his wrist," Madam Patil said soberly, motioning to where James had bandages around his hands.

"English, please?" Albus asked, clearly confused.

"He," Dusty started, choking back a sob with tears in her eyes, "he cut himself. James tried to kill himself," she whispered, unable to prevent the tears from falling. Al's face was somber, as was Rose's, but Lily and Hugo didn't even try to keep the tears from flowing. It was too much; Dusty couldn't take it anymore. She ran out of the hospital wing, past Jamie and Scorpius and into her safe spot.

She'd found it in second year when Jamie went through a phase where he thought sisters were uncool and annoying. Dusty was heartbroken, because her twin was her safehaven. He was the one person she could go to tell her problems to who wouldn't judge her, and then he acted as if she didn't exist. So as Dusty ran through the halls, she ducked behind a tapestry into a small passageway that led to the roof of the Ravenclaw tower. It was the tallest tower at Hogwarts and sat facing the Black Lake. The top was pointed, but there was a little three-foot-wide porch that stretched around the base of the point, with an iron fence to keep one from falling off. She just sat there, crying, and ended up falling asleep.

She woke up to a blinding bright light.

"Merlin, it's morning!" she exclaimed, jumping up and running to the Great Hall to see how late it was. Everyone was there, luckily, so Dusty ran up and sat down beside Rose.

"Where have you been?" Rose asked worriedly, putting her hands on Dusty's cheeks. "We've been so worried!"

"What? It's only morning," Dusty said warily, and Rose and Albus laughed halfheartedly.

"It's lunchtime," Rose snorted, causing Dusty to gasp.

"You mean I- I missed three classes?" she exclaimed wide-eyed. "I've never missed a single class! And then, all of the sudden, I miss three?" The corner of Rose's mouth turned up a little, which made Dusty angrier.

"It's not funny!" she shrieked, and Rose and Albus burst out laughing.

"It totally is! You're freaking out because you missed a few classes! It's absolutely hilarious!" Dusty only humphed and turned away, but quickly turned back around.

"Is James alright?" she asked gently.

"Madam Patil said he should wake up today out tomorrow, but he went be able to leave for another week or so start he wakes up."

"Oh. Okay."


	7. In which Dusty and Scorpius sing!

**A/N: So I know I haven't updated in a really long time, so I'm really really sorry. To make up for it, I'm going to post a Fremione fic within a week, set in an AU where Fred lives. So, check that out! In other news, I went to the beach today and it was awesome, albeit cold. And I haven't put a disclaimer up, so I'll do that now: ****_I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER, THIS IS PURELY FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT OF ME AND MY PEERS. HARRY POTTER IS OWNED BY MY QUEEN AND GODDESS, J. K. ROWLING._**

**This chapter is dedicated to BladeChaser, who has given me what I need to keep going, and to FeatherQuill12, who writes amazing stories in part inspires my writing, too.**

* * *

A few days later James had woken up and Dusty was going to surprise him at the infirmary with a concert. Madam Patil had told them it was okay, and Dusty wanted Scorpius to get used to singing in front of other people. So Dusty had made sure that James was sleeping and snuck into the hospital wing with Scorpius in tow.

"Shh, shh, alright, Dusty, come over here," Rose whispered, careful to not wake James up. Everyone cringed when Dusty pulled her guitar out of its case and a string went off very loudly. Luckily, James slept like a dead flobberworm. When everyone was in position, Lily leaned over her older brother and shook him gently.

"James, wake up," she cooed softly, and tried again when he didn't budge. After that she tried again, and again, and again, and again, until turning to the last resort. "James, wake up!" she exclaimed hurriedly. "Quidditch today and you're already late!" His eyes shot open and he sat up instantly, only to lay down again when his head pounded.

"Lily, damn you and your evilness," he mumbled, and suddenly saw Dusty. His eyes widened and his mouth opened as if to say something, but no sound came out. She smiled sympathetically and began plucking her guitar strings.

"Hold on, to me as we go," Dusty sang, Scorpius harmonizing with her. Rose, Lily, Albus, and Hugo gaped at them, with James looking rather confused. Dusty grinned at the reactions, but kept her eyes on James the entire time. After all, she thought this song fit his situation perfectly.

"Just know you're not alone," they crooned, putting as much emotion into their words as they could. The song soon sped up and they sang louder and louder, much to the pleasure of their (small) audience. Too soon, the song was over and everyone clapped with all their might.

"That was bloody amazing!" Al exclaimed, his eyes wide.

"Brilliant!" Lily shouted.

"Well if my family doesn't hire you they've gone bonkers," Rose smiled, hugging Dusty. Dusty in turn hugged Scorpius, pleased at the reaction they got. Scorpius, however, was grinning nervously, shaking in his boots. In all this James didn't say a word, staring blankly into space.

"Give us a minute," Dusty said, shooing everyone out. She sat in a chair next to his bed quietly for a few minutes, until the silence was unbearable.

"Why did you do it?" she blurted, desperate to know. James waited a bit before answering.

"I've been battling depression since I was thirteen or so, and when we had our fight I was more down than usual. I couldn't bear the thought of having the person I love hate me. And I cracked. I'm not strong. I'm weak," he cried, placing his head in his hands.

"I don't hate you!" Dusty insisted, scooting her chair closer to him. "No, no, no! Sure, I was upset at what you called me, and what you said about my friends. But, to be honest, I'm not sure I'm capable of hating someone. And you have to be awfully strong to survive the way you did." James paused and took a deep breath, mulling over her words in his head.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled after a moment. "I'm sorry that I called you a traitor, I'm sorry that I said Mal- Scorpius only wants to get in your pants, I'm sorry for humiliating you in front of everyone, I'm sorry for everything. I was a complete git to you and my family and I'm so, so sorry. And that Scorpius bloke has a nice voice. You tell him I said that, okay?" Dusty nodded.

"I just have one last question," Dusty said, masterly hiding a smirk. James raised his eyebrow, so she continued. "Can I kiss you? That first time was really nice, and I'd like to do it again."

"One kiss?" he asked rather hoarsely, his face masked by shock.

"A simple, no strings attached, kiss," she agreed, smirking. James nodded eagerly, so Dusty leaned in, her lips hovering ever so close to his without touching, before pressing them against James', holding it for a good five seconds before pulling away.

"I'll see you later," Dusty said, kissing him once more on the cheek and leaving him even redder than before. She left, leaving James to his own devices, meeting the others outside the door.

"What happened?" Scorpius asked when she had arrived.

"We talked," Dusty said mischievously. "And he said you have a nice voice."

"James Sirius Potter complimented someone who he wasn't flirting with! It's a miracle!" Rose gasped with feigned surprise. Everyone chuckled and Dusty excused herself to go to lunch. She offered for Rose to come, but she refused, looking a little hurt.

It kept bothering Dusty that she and Rose weren't spending much time together anymore. And when Dusty tried to remedy that, Rose kept pushing Dusty farther and farther away.

Then, the next day, Rose snapped.

"Rose, want to hang out this weekend? I have nothing to do," said Dusty casually, really hoping to spend some time with her best friend.

"Oh, yeah, sure, since you have nothing else to do," Rose sneered, not looking at Dusty. "There's nothing you can do all weekend so I'm your last resort."

"No, that's not what I meant!" Dusty said, taken aback at Rose's reaction. Rose ignored her and kept on talking.

"Anyway, why don't you ask Scorpius, since you've been spending so much time with him lately. I'm sure he'd love your company, if by company you mean your lips on his. Yeah. Bet you're shagging in broom cupboards every chance you get, too? You're just a fuckbuddy to him. He doesn't care about you! He just wants sex!" Dusty stepped back, feeling angry, hurt, shocked, and confused, all at the same time.

Then, with all the strength she could muster, Dusty whispered, "I meant I missed you," and ran and hid under the Quidditch stands, where she didn't think anyone would find her, in tears.

But, how luck has it, someone did find her. Thankfully, it wasn't one of two people she didn't really want to talk to. It was Jamie, who had witnessed the whole fiasco and was worried.

"Hey, Bookworm," he said gently, sitting down next to her and holding her close. "Wanna talk about it?"

"We haven't shagged!" Dusty sniffed, burying her head into Jamie's shirt. "We haven't even kissed! She knows that! I've been trying to have some quality time with her lately, but she just brushes me off, and now she says it's my fault our friendship is ruined!"

"You know, Hogwarts was ruined, once, before we were born," said Jamie as is he were suggesting something. He continued when Dusty gave him a strange look, as if to say "Where are you going with this?" "I mean, it was reduced to nearly rubble. But look at it now? I'd say that today, if anything, it looks even better than it did before."

"And Hogwarts is a euphemism for mine and Rose's friendship," Dusty guessed, getting up hurriedly. "Sorry, I have somewhere to go!" she called to Jamie, who nodded understandingly. Dusty ran, all the way to the Great Hall, and then to the Gryffindor common room, and the hospital wing, before finally running into Scorpius in the entrance hall.

"Have you seen Rose?" she gasped, panting.

"No, sorry-"

"Dusty! DUSTY!" Rose called excitedly, waving her and like a madman. Dusty laugh-sighed and ran up to her best friend, tears in her eyes.

"Dusty, I'm so sorry about the things I said, I didn't mean it, I acted like a total jealous bitch," Rose said, hugging Dusty tightly.

"I know, I'm sorry too, I haven't been paying much attention to you lately, and I was a total bitch, too."

"I'm just so happy that you forgave me, I was afraid you wouldn't," said Rose, relieved. Dusty grinned in response and hugged Rose again.

"So, um, I think I fancy Scorpius."


End file.
